scholarly journals Period spacings in red giants

2017 ◽  
Vol 600 ◽  
pp. A1 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Mosser ◽  
C. Pinçon ◽  
K. Belkacem ◽  
M. Takata ◽  
M. Vrard

Context. The power of asteroseismology relies on the capability of global oscillations to infer the stellar structure. For evolved stars, we benefit from unique information directly carried out by mixed modes that probe their radiative cores. This third article of the series devoted to mixed modes in red giants focuses on their coupling factors, which have remained largely unexploited up to now. Aims. With the measurement of coupling factors, we intend to give physical constraints on the regions surrounding the radiative core and the hydrogen-burning shell of subgiants and red giants. Methods. A new method for measuring the coupling factor of mixed modes was implemented, which was derived from the method recently implemented for measuring period spacings. This new method was automated so that it could be applied to a large sample of stars. Results. Coupling factors of mixed modes were measured for thousands of red giants. They show specific variation with mass and evolutionary stage. Weak coupling is observed for the most evolved stars on the red giant branch only; large coupling factors are measured at the transition between subgiants and red giants as well as in the red clump. Conclusions. The measurement of coupling factors in dipole mixed modes provides a new insight into the inner interior structure of evolved stars. While the large frequency separation and the asymptotic period spacings probe the envelope and core, respectively, the coupling factor is directly sensitive to the intermediate region in between and helps determine its extent. Observationally, the determination of the coupling factor is a prior to precise fits of the mixed-mode pattern and can now be used to address further properties of the mixed-mode pattern, such as the signature of buoyancy glitches and core rotation.

2020 ◽  
Vol 634 ◽  
pp. A68 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Pinçon ◽  
M. J. Goupil ◽  
K. Belkacem

Context. The space-borne missions CoRoT and Kepler have already brought stringent constraints on the internal structure of low-mass evolved stars, a large part of which results from the detection of mixed modes. However, all the potential of these oscillation modes as a diagnosis of the stellar interior has not been fully exploited yet. In particular, the coupling factor or the gravity-offset of mixed modes, q and εg, are expected to provide additional constraints on the mid-layers of red giants, which are located between the hydrogen-burning shell and the neighborhood of the base of the convective zone. The link between these parameters and the properties of this region, nevertheless, still remains to be precisely established. Aims. In the present paper, we investigate the potential of the coupling factor in probing the mid-layer structure of evolved stars. Methods. Guided by typical stellar models and general physical considerations, we modeled the coupling region along with evolution. We subsequently obtained an analytical expression of q based on the asymptotic theory of mixed modes and compared it to observations. Results. We show that the value of q is degenerate with respect to the thickness of the coupling evanescent region and the local density scale height. On the subgiant branch and the beginning of the red giant branch (RGB), the model predicts that the peak in the observed value of q is necessarily associated with the important shrinking and the subsequent thickening of the coupling region, which is located in the radiative zone at these stages. The large spread in the measurement is interpreted as the result of the high sensitivity of q to the structure properties when the coupling region becomes very thin. Nevertheless, the important degeneracy of q in this regime prevents us from unambiguously concluding on the precise structural origin of the observed values. In later stages, the progressive migration of the coupling region toward the convective zone is expected to result in a slight and smooth decrease in q, which is in agreement with observations. At one point just before the end of the first-dredge up and the luminosity bump, the coupling region becomes entirely located in the convective region and its continuous thickening is shown to be responsible for the observed decrease in q. We demonstrate that q has the promising potential to probe the migration of the base of the convective region as well as convective extra-mixing during this stage. We also show that the frequency-dependence of q cannot be neglected in the oscillation spectra of such evolved RGB stars, which is in contrast with what is assumed in the current measurement methods. This fact can have an influence on the physical interpretation of the observed values. In red clump stars, in which the coupling regions are very thin and located in the radiative zone, the small variations and spread observed in q suggest that their mid-layer structure is very stable. Conclusions. A structural interpretation of the global observed variations in q was obtained and the potential of this parameter in probing the dynamics of the mid-layer properties of red giants is highlighted. This analytical study paves the way for a more quantitative exploration of the link of q with the internal properties of evolved stars using stellar models for a proper interpretation of the observations. This will be undertaken in the following papers of this series.


2018 ◽  
Vol 618 ◽  
pp. A109 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Mosser ◽  
C. Gehan ◽  
K. Belkacem ◽  
R. Samadi ◽  
E. Michel ◽  
...  

Context. Oscillation modes with a mixed character, as observed in evolved low-mass stars, are highly sensitive to the physical properties of the innermost regions. Measuring their properties is therefore extremely important to probe the core, but requires some care, due to the complexity of the mixed-mode pattern. Aims. The aim of this work is to provide a consistent description of the mixed-mode pattern of low-mass stars, based on the asymptotic expansion. We also study the variation of the gravity offset εg with stellar evolution. Methods. We revisit previous works about mixed modes in red giants and empirically test how period spacings, rotational splittings, mixed-mode widths, and heights can be estimated in a consistent view, based on the properties of the mode inertia ratios. Results. From the asymptotic fit of the mixed-mode pattern of a large set of red giants at various evolutionary stages, we derive unbiased and precise asymptotic parameters. As the asymptotic expansion of gravity modes is verified with a precision close to the frequency resolution for stars on the red giant branch (10−4 in relative values), we can derive accurate values of the asymptotic parameters. We decipher the complex pattern in a rapidly rotating star, and explain how asymmetrical splittings can be inferred. We also revisit the stellar inclinations in two open clusters, NGC 6819 and NGC 6791: our results show that the stellar inclinations in these clusters do not have privileged orientation in the sky. The variation of the asymptotic gravity offset with stellar evolution is investigated in detail. We also derive generic properties that explain under which conditions mixed modes can be observed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 598 ◽  
pp. A62 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Mosser ◽  
K. Belkacem ◽  
C. Pinçon ◽  
M. Takata ◽  
M. Vrard ◽  
...  

Context. Seismic observations with the space-borne Kepler mission have shown that a number of evolved stars exhibit low-amplitude dipole modes, which is referred to as depressed modes. Recently, these low amplitudes have been attributed to the presence of a strong magnetic field in the stellar core of those stars. Subsequently, and based on this scenario, the prevalence of high magnetic fields in evolved stars has been inferred. It should be noted, however, that this conclusion remains indirect. Aims. We intend to study the properties of mode depression in evolved stars, which is a necessary condition before reaching conclusions about the physical nature of the mechanism responsible for the reduction of the dipole mode amplitudes. Methods. We perform a thorough characterization of the global seismic parameters of depressed dipole modes and show that these modes have a mixed character. The observation of stars showing dipole mixed modes that are depressed is especially useful for deriving model-independent conclusions on the dipole mode damping. We use a simple model to explain how mode visibilities are connected to the extra damping seen in depressed modes. Results. Observations prove that depressed dipole modes in red giants are not pure pressure modes but mixed modes. This result, observed in more than 90% of the bright stars (mV ≤ 11), invalidates the hypothesis that depressed dipole modes result from the suppression of the oscillation in the radiative core of the stars. Observations also show that, except for visibility, seismic properties of the stars with depressed modes are equivalent to those of normal stars. The measurement of the extra damping that is responsible for the reduction of mode amplitudes, without any prior on its physical nature, potentially provides an efficient tool for elucidating the mechanism responsible for the mode depression. Conclusions. The mixed nature of the depressed modes in red giants and their unperturbed global seismic parameters carry strong constraints on the physical mechanism responsible for the damping of the oscillation in the core. This mechanism is able to damp the oscillation in the core but cannot fully suppress it. Moreover, it cannot modify the radiative cavity probed by the gravity component of the mixed modes. The recent mechanism involving high magnetic fields proposed for explaining depressed modes is not compliant with the observations and cannot be used to infer the strength and prevalence of high magnetic fields in red giants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A104 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kallinger ◽  
P. G. Beck ◽  
D. Stello ◽  
R. A. Garcia

Context. In recent years the global seismic scaling relations for the frequency of maximum power, νmax ∝ g / √Teff, and for the large frequency separation, Δν ∝ √ρ¯, have drawn attention in various fields of astrophysics. This is because these relations can be used to estimate parameters, such as the mass and radius of stars that show solar-like oscillations. With the exquisite photometry of Kepler, the uncertainties in the seismic observables are small enough to estimate masses and radii with a precision of only a few per cent. Even though this seems to work quite well for main-sequence stars, there is empirical evidence, mainly from studies of eclipsing binary systems, that the seismic scaling relations systematically overestimate the mass and radius of red giants by about 15% and 5%, respectively. Various model-based corrections of the Δν-scaling reduce the problem but do not solve it. Aims. Our goal is to define revised seismic scaling relations that account for the known systematic mass and radius discrepancies in a completely model-independent way. Methods. We use probabilistic methods to analyse the seismic data and to derive non-linear scaling relations based on a sample of six red giant branch (RGB) stars that are members of eclipsing binary systems and about 60 red giants on the RGB as well as in the core-helium burning red clump (RC) in the two open clusters NGC 6791 and NGC 6819. Results. We re-examine the global oscillation parameters of the giants in the binary systems in order to determine their seismic fundamental parameters and we find them to agree with the dynamic parameters from the literature if we adopt non-linear scalings. We note that a curvature and glitch corrected Δνcor should be preferred over a local or average value of Δν. We then compare the observed seismic parameters of the cluster giants to those scaled from independent measurements and find the same non-linear behaviour as for the eclipsing binaries. Our final proposed scaling relations are based on both samples and cover a broad range of evolutionary stages from RGB to RC stars: g / √Teff = (νmax / νmax,⊙)1.0075±0.0021 and √ρ¯ = (Δνcor / Δνcor,⊙)[η − (0.0085 ± 0.0025) log2(Δνcor / Δνcor,⊙)]−1, where g, Teff, and ρ¯ are in solar units, νmax,⊙ = 3140 ± 5 μHz and Δνcor,⊙ = 135.08 ± 0.02 μHz, and η is equal to one in the case of RGB stars and 1.04 ± 0.01 for RC stars. Conclusions. A direct consequence of these new scaling relations is that the average mass of stars on the ascending giant branch reduces to 1.10 ± 0.03 M⊙ in NGC 6791 and 1.45 ± 0.06 M⊙ in NGC 6819, allowing us to revise the clusters’ distance modulus to 13.11 ± 0.03 and 11.91 ± 0.03 mag, respectively. We also find strong evidence that both clusters are significantly older than concluded from previous seismic investigations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A24 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Gehan ◽  
B. Mosser ◽  
E. Michel ◽  
R. Samadi ◽  
T. Kallinger

Context. Asteroseismology allows us to probe stellar interiors. In the case of red giant stars, conditions in the stellar interior are such as to allow for the existence of mixed modes, consisting in a coupling between gravity waves in the radiative interior and pressure waves in the convective envelope. Mixed modes can thus be used to probe the physical conditions in red giant cores. However, we still need to identify the physical mechanisms that transport angular momentum inside red giants, leading to the slow-down observed for red giant core rotation. Thus large-scale measurements of red giant core rotation are of prime importance to obtain tighter constraints on the efficiency of the internal angular momentum transport, and to study how this efficiency changes with stellar parameters. Aims. This work aims at identifying the components of the rotational multiplets for dipole mixed modes in a large number of red giant oscillation spectra observed by Kepler. Such identification provides us with a direct measurement of the red giant mean core rotation. Methods. We compute stretched spectra that mimic the regular pattern of pure dipole gravity modes. Mixed modes with the same azimuthal order are expected to be almost equally spaced in stretched period, with a spacing equal to the pure dipole gravity mode period spacing. The departure from this regular pattern allows us to disentangle the various rotational components and therefore to determine the mean core rotation rates of red giants. Results. We automatically identify the rotational multiplet components of 1183 stars on the red giant branch with a success rate of 69% with respect to our initial sample. As no information on the internal rotation can be deduced for stars seen pole-on, we obtain mean core rotation measurements for 875 red giant branch stars. This large sample includes stars with a mass as large as 2.5 M⊙, allowing us to test the dependence of the core slow-down rate on the stellar mass. Conclusions. Disentangling rotational splittings from mixed modes is now possible in an automated way for stars on the red giant branch, even for the most complicated cases, where the rotational splittings exceed half the mixed-mode spacing. This work on a large sample allows us to refine previous measurements of the evolution of the mean core rotation on the red giant branch. Rather than a slight slow-down, our results suggest rotation is constant along the red giant branch, with values independent of the mass.


1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Silvanovich ◽  
R. D. Hill

A bean chloroplast coupling factor (CF1) with latent Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity was studied. Immunodiffusion of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) chloroplast and etioplast coupling factors and spinach coupling factor against antiserum to spinach coupling factor showed partial identity of the bean coupling factor with that of spinach. An immunoelectrophoretic comparison, under dissociating conditions, of bean leaf extracts and spinach extracts containing CF1 subunits (as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) gave identical results for both extracts. At least six distinct polypeptide species were found. The major species had molecular weights of 42 000, 59 000 and 63 000 daltons. Amino acid analysis of electrophoretically purified bean CF1 gave results similar to those published for spinach CF1.


2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Palmerini ◽  
M. Busso ◽  
E. Maiorca ◽  
R. Guandalini

AbstractWe present computations of nucleosynthesis in red giants and Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars of Population I experiencing extended mixing. The assumed physical cause for mass transport is the buoyancy of magnetized structures, according to recent suggestions. The peculiar property of such a mechanism is to allow for both fast and slow mixing phenomena, as required for reproducing the spread in Li abundances displayed by red giants and as discussed in an accompanying paper. We explore here the effects of this kind of mass transport on CNO and intermediate-mass nuclei and compare the results with the available evidence from evolved red giants and from the isotopic composition of presolar grains of AGB origin. It is found that a good general accord exists between predictions and measurements; in this framework we also show which type of observational data best constrains the various parameters. We conclude that magnetic buoyancy, allowing for mixing at rather different speeds, can be an interesting scenario to explore for explaining together the abundances of CNO nuclei and of Li.


Author(s):  
Masashi Suzuki ◽  
Shoji Kakio

Abstract Piezoelectricity of YbAlN films has recently been shown to be almost as high as that of ScAlN films. YbAlN film surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators are expected to have a high coupling factor. We theoretically investigated the propagation characteristics of first-mode Rayleigh SAWs (RSAWs) on Yb0.33Al0.67N film/high-velocity Si, sapphire, AlN, SiC, BN, and diamond substrates. The first-mode RSAWs on the YbAlN layered structures had high coupling factors, higher than those on ScAlN layered structures. An enhancement of the effective coupling factor of the first mode RSAWs was observed in polarity inverted YbAlN film/BN or diamond substrate structures.


Author(s):  
Kristen Olson ◽  
Jolene D Smyth ◽  
Rachel Horwitz ◽  
Scott Keeter ◽  
Virginia Lesser ◽  
...  

Abstract Telephone surveys have been a ubiquitous method of collecting survey data, but the environment for telephone surveys is changing. Many surveys are transitioning from telephone to self-administration or combinations of modes for both recruitment and survey administration. Survey organizations are conducting these transitions from telephone to mixed modes with only limited guidance from existing empirical literature and best practices. This article summarizes findings by an AAPOR Task Force on how these transitions have occurred for surveys and research organizations in general. We find that transitions from a telephone to a self-administered or mixed-mode survey are motivated by a desire to control costs, to maintain or improve data quality, or both. The most common mode to recruit respondents when transitioning is mail, but recent mixed-mode studies use only web or mail and web together as survey administration modes. Although early studies found that telephone response rates met or exceeded response rates to the self-administered or mixed modes, after about 2013, response rates to the self-administered or mixed modes tended to exceed those for the telephone mode, largely because of a decline in the telephone mode response rates. Transitioning offers opportunities related to improved frame coverage and geographic targeting, delivery of incentives, visual design of an instrument, and cost savings, but challenges exist related to selecting a respondent within a household, length of a questionnaire, differences across modes in use of computerization to facilitate skip patterns and other questionnaire design features, and lack of an interviewer for respondent motivation and clarification. Other challenges related to surveying youth, conducting surveys in multiple languages, collecting nonsurvey data such as biomeasures or consent to link to administrative data, and estimation with multiple modes are also prominent.


1990 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 118-120
Author(s):  
William K. Rose

OH/IR stars and carbon stars are examples of evolved stars known to lose mass rapidly. In a recent paper (Rose 1987) we have described calculations of infrared continuum radiation from dust in stellar winds from red giants. We compare calculated radiative models with recent infrared measurements and estimate the total contribution of evolved stars to the mid-infrared background radiation observed from the Milky Way and M31.


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